Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the latest estimated costs of the HS2 project; and when the line is expected to open.

baroness sugg: The 2015 Spending Review confirmed a funding envelope for the whole of HS2 of £55.7bn in 2015 prices. HS2 Ltd has been set Delivery-In-Service targets by Government under its Development Agreement, which are to deliver initial Phase One services from 2026 and the whole HS2 network by 2033. HS2 Ltd is currently working with their contracted suppliers to update and agree the latest cost and schedule positions for Phase One. Once completed we will make these details public as part of the Phase One Full Business Case, which is due for publication later in 2019.

Airlines

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Brexit on demand in the UK airline sector.

baroness sugg: Flights between the UK and the EU will continue whatever the outcome of EU Exit. In a deal scenario, flights will continue as now during the time-limited Implementation Period. In a no deal scenario, the EU has adopted a regulation which gives UK airlines the right to fly to and from the EU for 12 months, and the UK will reciprocate these rights for EU airlines. The Department for Transport maintains close contact with the airline sector to ensure that their requirements are factored into EU Exit negotiations and preparations.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Manufacturing Industries

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the analysis by the Office for National Statistics, Manufacturing Sector Performance, UK: 2008–2018, published on 2 April,that there may be a decline in growth in the UK manufacturing sector as a result of post-Brexit tariffs.

lord henley: The report Manufacturing Sector Performance, UK: 2008–2018, published by the Office for National Statistics on the 2nd April, details how the manufacturing sector has grown since the recession, and does not cover potential tariffs, or the UK exiting the European Union.Both the UK and the EU share a strong commercial interest in preserving integrated supply chains. The government recognises that the manufacturing sector remains a vital contributor to the economy of the UK, driving innovation, exports, job creation, and productivity growth. The sector supports 2.7 million jobs, generates 49% of the UK total exports of goods and services, and accounts for 66% of all business expenditure on UK R&D. Through our modern Industrial Strategy and Made Smarter – our key national industrial digitalisation programme – we are building an economy fit for the future. In the process, we are exploiting the wealth of opportunities from next generation technologies that foster competitive business environments, allowing for UK manufacturing to flourish. As the 9th largest global manufacturing economy, we are – and will continue to be – a major manufacturing nation.

Department for Education

Universities

lord grocott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byViscount Younger of Leckie on 3 April (HL14848), whether they will provide in the text of theirresponse to this question a list of the members of (1) the Russell Group, (2) Million+, and (3) University Alliance.

viscount younger of leckie: Information regarding a list of members of the Russell Group, Million+ and University Alliance is not held centrally. However, information from the members’ websites is reflected in the following table:1) Russell Group Membership2) Million+3) University AllianceBirmingham UniversityAbertay UniversityUWE BristolUniversity of BristolAnglia RuskinUniversity of GreenwichUniversity of CambridgeBath Spa UniversityUniversity of Central LancashireCardiff UniversityUniversity of BedfordshireUniversity of BrightonDurham UniversityUniversity of BoltonThe Open UniversityUniversity of EdinburghCanterbury Christ Church UniversityTeesside UniversityUniversity of ExeterUniversity of CumbriaUniversity of South WalesUniversity of GlasgowUniversity of East LondonUniversity of SalfordImperial College LondonEdinburgh Napier UniversityUniversity of PortsmouthKing's College LondonGlasgow Caledonian UniversityOxford Brookes UniversityUniversity of LeedsUniversity of the Highlands and IslandsNottingham Trent UniversityUniversity of LiverpoolLeeds Trinity UniversityKingston UniversityLondon School of EconomicsLondon Metropolitan UniversityUniversity of HertfordshireUniversity of ManchesterLondon South BankCoventry UniversityNewcastle UniversityMiddlesex University University of NottinghamSouthampton Solent University University of OxfordUniversity of Sunderland Queen Mary University of LondonUniversity of West London Queen's University BelfastUniversity of the West of Scotland University of SheffieldUniversity of Staffordshire University of SouthamptonUniversity of Wolverhampton University College London  University of Warwick  University of York   NotesInformation was taken from the members’ websites on 5 April.

Universities: Procurement

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, followingOffice for National Statisticschanges to therecording of student loans in the national accounts, what guidance has been provided to universities regarding their classification, or otherwise, as contracting authorities for the purposes of the Public Service Contracts Regulations 2015.

viscount younger of leckie: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) announcement is a statistical change. Therefore, there are no changes to the operation of the student loans system or Department for Education departmental accounting.In April 2018, the ONS announced that they would review the treatment of student loans – in particular re-examine the classification of student loans as financial assets for government. They argued the stock of student loans has grown rapidly in recent years and a significant proportion of the total value of the loan book is now expected to be cancelled at maturity.The ONS announced in December 2018 that the recording of student loans in the national accounts and public sector finances would mean that student loan payments will be split into a portion that is genuine government lending (and will be repaid) and a portion that is government spending (which is not expected to be repaid).

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords Library: Magazine Press

lord palmer: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what was the total cost of the production of Issue 1 of the House of Lords Library magazineThe Library, published in April; and what estimate he has made of the future costs of the publication of that magazine.

lord laming: The total cost of production for issue 1 of the House of Lords Library Magazine The Library published in April was £2,642.50 plus VAT (template and printing). The magazine is available in print and digitally, and the cost of future issues will therefore depend upon the demand for printed copies. Likely subscriber numbers indicate a cost for printing of £185 plus VAT per issue, and it is expected that The Library will be published approximately nine times per year.

Ministry of Defence

Submarines: Decommissioning

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of the report by the National Audit OfficeInvestigation into submarine defueling and dismantling, published on 3 April, and of the impact of that report's findings on the UK defence sector.

earl howe: The National Audit Office's investigation acknowledges the complex nature of activities to defuel and dismantle decommissioned nuclear powered submarines. It also recognises the Ministry of Defence has taken steps to start initial dismantling and has ensured the storage of all laid-up submarines is safe. The Department is working closely with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and key industrial partners to ensure its programmes are delivered safely, efficiently and effectively.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

lord selkirk of douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Battersea Dogs and Cats HomeSentencing for animal cruelty in England and Wales, published in 2017, what plans they have to introduce legislation to increase the maximum sentence for the most serious cases of animal cruelty from six months to five years imprisonment.

lord gardiner of kimble: We are committed to the highest standards of animal welfare and the Government has announced that it will increase the custodial maximum penalty for animal cruelty from 6 months' to 5 years' imprisonment as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Thames Tideway Tunnel

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel is (1) on time, and (2) on budget.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Thames Tideway Tunnel is being financed and built by Bazalgette Tunnel Limited, also known as Tideway. Tideway report quarterly to Government on progress. In their most recent report, covering October to December 2018, Tideway report that construction is on track. The tunnel will be operational by 2023. Tideway issued a press release on 4 April which outlines recent progress and updates their latest cost estimate. Their revised estimate is £3.361 billion (in 2014/15 prices), which is an increase of £217m on the £3.144 billion baseline set at the start of the project. Tideway estimates that it does not change the estimated £20-25 peak annual cost for Thames Water customers (in 2014/15 prices), as overall costs remain within that range. This level of increase has no impact on the taxpayer.

Air Pollution: Children

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Unicef Healthy air for every child: A call for national action, published on 5 February; and what steps, if any, they intend to take in response to its recommendations, in particular the recommendation to set up a “Little Lungs Fund” of £215 million to pay for measures that specifically reduce children’s exposure to toxic air.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Secretaries of State for Environment and Health recently attended the Clean Air Summit, at which a number of representatives of UNICEF were also present. UNICEF’s representatives used this opportunity to highlight findings of their report and to discuss its recommendations to reduce the impact of air pollution on the most vulnerable members of society, including our children. The claims in the UNICEF report are currently being assessed by the government. Our Clean Air Strategy is clear that children are impacted by air pollution more than the general population, and all the measures set out in the Strategy will reduce emissions of pollution, improving public health. The Government has committed £3.5bn overall to deliver actions across all sectors and achieve cleaner air for people of all ages, including children.

Home Office

Thames House: Pedestrian Areas

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they gave to pedestrian safety when deciding to block off the pavement outside 12 Millbank.

baroness williams of trafford: As has been the policy of successive governments, the government does not comment on matters relating to the intelligence agencies. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament scrutinises the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the intelligence agencies on behalf of Parliament.

Thames House: Pedestrian Areas

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government with whom they consulted before deciding to block off the pavement outside 12 Millbank; and whether they conducted an equality impact assessment on that blockage.

baroness williams of trafford: As has been the policy of successive governments, the government does not comment on matters relating to the intelligence agencies. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament scrutinises the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the intelligence agencies on behalf of Parliament.

Thames House: Pedestrian Areas

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Security Service is liable for any (1) deaths of, and (2) injuries to, pedestrians as a result of their decision to block the pavement outside 12 Millbank.

baroness williams of trafford: As has been the policy of successive governments, the government does not comment on matters relating to the intelligence agencies. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament scrutinises the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the intelligence agencies on behalf of Parliament.

Cabinet Office

General Elections: Candidates

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK parliamentary candidates are permitted to sign a pledge to another nation.

lord young of cookham: Candidates at UK parliamentary elections must comply with the requirements for standing as a candidate at these elections. Otherwise, candidates enjoy the same freedom of expression as applicable to all citizens.

Electoral Register

lord hughes of woodside: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many electors were removed from the electoral registers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in each year since the EU referendum in 2016; and what percentage of the register this represents.

lord hughes of woodside: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many electors have been added to the electoral register of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland since 2016; and what percentage this represents in each case.

lord young of cookham: Information on annual deletions from and additions to the electoral registers by nation is not held centrally by the Government. Each Electoral Registration Officer maintains their own register for the area for which they are responsible. Headline registration statistics are collated and published annually by the Office for National Statistics.

Local Government: Elections

lord rennard: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any,to assess the likely level of personation that could occur at polling stations in the May 2019 local elections; andwhether they will obtain from Electoral Registration Officers for those elections the number of tendered ballot papers issued in each local authority area.

lord young of cookham: The Electoral Commission collate information on allegations of electoral fraud, including personation, at elections and in due course will publish a report covering all polls held in 2019.The Government has no plans to ask Electoral Registration Officers to provide information on the number of tendered ballot papers issued in each local authority. Whilst details of tendered ballot papers issued are recorded at each polling station, numbers are not totalled and there is no requirement to record this number.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Football: Sportsgrounds

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ashton of Hyde on 25 March (HL14535), on what date they intend to release the final report of their review into safe standing in football stadiums.

lord ashton of hyde: We believe that all-seater stadia are currently the best means to ensure the safety and security of fans at designated football matches in England and Wales.The Minister for Sport and Civil Society expects to receive the final report on the findings of the evidence review shortly and will then consider an appropriate date for the report’s release.

Video Games: Exports

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help continue trade growth in the UK gaming industry after Brexit.

lord ashton of hyde: DCMS Creative Industries economic estimates show the UK games sector was worth approximately £1.1 billion in 2017, a 7.3% increase on the previous year.The Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board, established through the Creative Industries Sector Deal, enables a more strategic and industry-led approach to trade and export support. This will help support trade growth for the sector, including the video games industry, following the UK’s exit from the EU. Among many actions to help promote the sector in 2018/19, government supported video games companies at three major international trade shows through the Department for International Trade’s Tradeshow Access Programme, which saw £113m of export wins for the industry.

Young People: Rural Areas

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ashton of Hyde on 29 March (HL14672) and to the report by Rural EnglandState of Rural Services 2018, published in February, whether they have made any assessment of why young people living in rural areas are more likely to engage in risky behaviours than those living in urban areas.

lord ashton of hyde: Primary responsibility for safeguarding young people sits with the local authority, the relevant clinical commissioning group and the police.Government believes these locally based partnership arrangements are the best way to protect the welfare of all young people, taking account of local circumstances.